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Old 05-31-2013, 12:45 AM   #1
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Question Interior light bulbs vs LED bulbs

I've heard that swapping out light bulbs for more energy efficient LED bulbs will conserve battery power while dry camping. I want to compare just one bulb to see if the illumination is sufficient; however, I CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO REMOVE THE EXISTING BULB!! Am I just stupid? What am I overlooking? The generic users manual is useless for interior stuff. I am looking for help.
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Old 05-31-2013, 01:33 AM   #2
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go to your local rv dealer in the parts dept and ask them for a 24 element led kit , they have adapters with the kit ,open your light by sliding the cover away and pull down. then take out the bulb and compare the ends find the right end and plug it into the led lead install it the same way you took it out and replace the cover when your done, be sure to use the double back tape to fix it to the fixture.they come with instructions as well .good luck
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Old 05-31-2013, 04:58 AM   #3
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Thanks for all the advice. Now if I could just figure out HOW to "take out the bulb."
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Old 05-31-2013, 05:24 AM   #4
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I don't know if you are talking about the 'puck' lights but if so I just learned a few things. The glass face will unscrew from the metal body and depending on the setup its a G4 bulb. Do a search, several ideas and pricing varies greatly.
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Old 05-31-2013, 02:02 PM   #5
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I've been doing a little research of my own and there's five things you have to consider: 1) Colour tone of the bulb (cool white, warm white, etc.) 2) lumens or output. Where am I going to use this bulb? A bulb in the living room watching television will be different then the one in the bathroom where you're pulling out slivers or shaving 3) what base do you need - bayonet, wedge etc. The forth thing to consider is packaging - you can purchase the same bulb (colour, lumens etc.) in different configurations so each application will be different depending on the housing you're putting it into. The final decision is price. I've decided on the bulbs I want and am now waiting for the price to drop. A warning here is to watch where you purchase your bulbs. You may get a cheaper bulb on the Net but does it get so hot that it melts the plastic housing or worse yet start a fire.
Right now for my DW and myself there's no hurry to purchase the bulbs so we will wait for the conditions to be right before we do the change out. An RV could cost you upwards to $200.00 to make a complete change, so choose wisely.
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Old 05-31-2013, 03:11 PM   #6
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Hello Gruggers...how r u doing removing the bulb t???...I have the 921 wedge type bulb that slide in sideways..they are small and fragile are not the easiest to remove as u can't get a good firm grip on the suckers.
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Old 05-31-2013, 06:08 PM   #7
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They say as you get older that the brain is the first thing to go. To the Gruggers I apologize for not mentioning that my Kodiak 242RESL has wedge shaped bulbs and like Cooper's they are sometimes hard to get out. Sorry I missed that in my original post. Would it help removing the whole fixture so you can see and gain a better grasp of the bulb.
You are absolutely 100% correct in the battery life that you will gain by changing to LED. I seem to recall that the battery will last three times longer switching to Led over the regular filament type.
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Old 06-01-2013, 01:17 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by kayakcrazy View Post
They say as you get older that the brain is the first thing to go. To the Gruggers I apologize for not mentioning that my Kodiak 242RESL has wedge shaped bulbs and like Cooper's they are sometimes hard to get out. Sorry I missed that in my original post. Would it help removing the whole fixture so you can see and gain a better grasp of the bulb.
You are absolutely 100% correct in the battery life that you will gain by changing to LED. I seem to recall that the battery will last three times longer switching to Led over the regular filament type.
Longer battery life is so very true. I witnessed this the other day when I was checking out the lights on our new rig. I started by turning on the LEDs. With each switch thrown there was zero difference in briteness when I turned o. Just these incandescent (MEDICENE can in bathroom) the LEDs all dimmed down
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Old 08-01-2013, 06:51 PM   #9
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L. E. D. Bulbs use about 1/8 to 1/10th the power of incandescents. Pay attention to the kelvin and lumen ratings ( color and brightness). They are amazingly bright and efficient. Pricey, yes. But they are worth the money at least in key fixtures. It saves lotsa grief in my rig because I don't get in trouble anymore for walking behind my wife switching lights off. 10 fixtures on now use the power of 1 old one.
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Old 08-01-2013, 07:27 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by kayakcrazy View Post
I've been doing a little research of my own and there's five things you have to consider: 1) Colour tone of the bulb (cool white, warm white, etc.) 2) lumens or output. Where am I going to use this bulb? A bulb in the living room watching television will be different then the one in the bathroom where you're pulling out slivers or shaving 3) what base do you need - bayonet, wedge etc. The forth thing to consider is packaging - you can purchase the same bulb (colour, lumens etc.) in different configurations so each application will be different depending on the housing you're putting it into. The final decision is price. I've decided on the bulbs I want and am now waiting for the price to drop. A warning here is to watch where you purchase your bulbs. You may get a cheaper bulb on the Net but does it get so hot that it melts the plastic housing or worse yet start a fire.
Right now for my DW and myself there's no hurry to purchase the bulbs so we will wait for the conditions to be right before we do the change out. An RV could cost you upwards to $200.00 to make a complete change, so choose wisely.
If you are melting housings with LEDs then you are allowing to much current to pass through the LED, therefore creating the extreme heat. With the proper sized current limiting resistor the LED will operate as it should, no heat output.
Not all LED packages come with built in resistors so you'll need to know if the ones you are purchasing have the resistors included in the package. If not you'll have to add them for proper effiency.
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Old 08-02-2013, 12:28 AM   #11
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Sundance...the current limiting resistor is news to me. What is the shape of the resistor and where is it placed?? Is it inline on the power side that you must wire in?? Is that only on bulbs you install or all LED lights?? I have LED lights all over my golf cart and my Motorcycle.. No resistors there unless they are built in.. Tell me more please.
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Old 08-02-2013, 01:23 AM   #12
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Sundance...the current limiting resistor is news to me. What is the shape of the resistor and where is it placed?? Is it inline on the power side that you must wire in?? Is that only on bulbs you install or all LED lights?? I have LED lights all over my golf cart and my Motorcycle.. No resistors there unless they are built in.. Tell me more please.
On your scooter you may have the multi-function LED rope arrangement. If so the resistance is built into the circuit that makes them change colors or flash or dim or operate by a remote key fob. Probably the same thing on your golf cart.

A simple resistor just limits the current going into the LED. LEDs have a working milliamp range. Different colors and LEDs with different lumens need a specified current to make them function properly. You can take a normal leaded LED, say a power on indicator on your entertainment center, and connect it to a straight 12 volts. It'll work for a few seconds or longer before it burns up. With the resistor it will work nearly forever because the resistance limits the current to the LED.
LEDs have a large voltage range depending on the form factor. They will work on 110 volt AC as well as DC. With AC a diode is needed. The diode simply blocks one side of the AC phase, making the AC appear to be DC to the LED.
The resistor goes inline with the LED, either polarity will work.
Look at any circuit board with an LED on it whether it be a leaded one or SMT you will find the resistor inline and in front of the LED.

1/4 watt 20% resistors are common in LED circuits. Different voltages and colors have their own resistor requirements also.

I changed my puck lights to LED. I used a 9 element array of LEDs with a 180 ohm resistor. I didn't know the milliamp requirement of the array so I just chose 180 amp because that's what I had on hand. I think I can drop to 100 amp and be ok. The lumens will be higher and that will be ok. I could, if I still had my stock of resistors, keeping dropping resistance until I reached the correct level. That level would be close to having the LED create heat.

1/4 watt resistors | eBay

Very interesting critters these LEDs. Worth a little time to understand how they are made and how they work.
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Old 08-02-2013, 02:14 AM   #13
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that is very informative information about LED I never knew. I know a lot about electronics in general so everything your saying I agree with about diodes and resistors and their functions.
thanks for the information and I am going to explore the LED lighting I have installed on my 1832 cc scooter..

thanks again for taking the time to explain..
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Old 06-19-2014, 04:05 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by sundancer 87 View Post
On your scooter you may have the multi-function LED rope arrangement. If so the resistance is built into the circuit that makes them change colors or flash or dim or operate by a remote key fob. Probably the same thing on your golf cart.

A simple resistor just limits the current going into the LED. LEDs have a working milliamp range. Different colors and LEDs with different lumens need a specified current to make them function properly. You can take a normal leaded LED, say a power on indicator on your entertainment center, and connect it to a straight 12 volts. It'll work for a few seconds or longer before it burns up. With the resistor it will work nearly forever because the resistance limits the current to the LED.
LEDs have a large voltage range depending on the form factor. They will work on 110 volt AC as well as DC. With AC a diode is needed. The diode simply blocks one side of the AC phase, making the AC appear to be DC to the LED.
The resistor goes inline with the LED, either polarity will work.
Look at any circuit board with an LED on it whether it be a leaded one or SMT you will find the resistor inline and in front of the LED.

1/4 watt 20% resistors are common in LED circuits. Different voltages and colors have their own resistor requirements also.

I changed my puck lights to LED. I used a 9 element array of LEDs with a 180 ohm resistor. I didn't know the milliamp requirement of the array so I just chose 180 amp because that's what I had on hand. I think I can drop to 100 amp and be ok. The lumens will be higher and that will be ok. I could, if I still had my stock of resistors, keeping dropping resistance until I reached the correct level. That level would be close to having the LED create heat.

1/4 watt resistors | eBay

Very interesting critters these LEDs. Worth a little time to understand how they are made and how they work.
Sundancer - do you have a pic or two of what you did to your puck lights? I don't mind the puck lights as there are nice and bright but we dry camp at racetracks - plenty of battery power and lots solar power installed but the LED is the way to go...
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Old 06-19-2014, 05:05 PM   #15
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All I did was remove the two pin Halogen lamp and fixture. I wired in the 9 element with series resistor and stuck it back in the ceiling. The wires and resistor hold the LED element in place inside the reflector.

I tried a pic or three but the flash bounces off the reflector and washes out the components. I turned the flash off but then I wasn't steady enough to get a usable photo because of the blur.

I will if you want, pull a puck out of the ceiling and set it on a flat surface and give it another go.
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Old 06-19-2014, 05:14 PM   #16
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No need - was just curious if you replaceed the entire fixture or not. Would be very interested to know what bulb you used to replace it with though. I have the 36-LED panels in most of my standard fixtures and the work well, but want nice bright light in the kitchen/bathroom.
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Old 06-19-2014, 05:34 PM   #17
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3pcs 20W Cool White LED High Power 1700LM 20 Watt Lamp Light FX | eBay

Similar to his guy except 10 watt.
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Old 11-29-2014, 11:55 PM   #18
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Don't feel bad about not getting the bulbs out. I have a 2015 220 RBSL that just had the dinette bulbs go south and I can't figure how to remove them. There's nothing in the manual and I don't want to break them off. Can anyone give us some clue as to how to remove them. thanks
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Old 11-30-2014, 12:27 AM   #19
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The pendant lights over the raised bar in my Voltage have automotive style bulbs that you push straight up (hard) and then a quarter turn to pull out.

http://www.lulusoso.com/upload/20120...rake_light.jpg
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Old 11-30-2014, 01:07 AM   #20
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Thanks so much. Got them out. You weren't kidding about pushing them up hard. that's nuts:-) was afraid of breaking the glass
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